Steering Adjustment?

[Bugeater]

I have an old invader bow rider with a 80 HP merc outboard. It seems to steer very well to the right but the range is very limited to the left. I am not very familiar with boats but I assume there is an adjustment somewhere?? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

Need to know what type of steering set up you have.

During rigging you attach the motor end and center the motor then get the wheel straight and then bolt on the rack.

If rotary you need to feed in the helm end and count the turns lock to lock and center this and then attach/adjust the motor end.

It may be that your transom end housing is mounted a little farther from or closer to the engine and in this case you may be stuck with more travel one way over the other.

It happens.

 

[Bugeater]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

Steering is a single cable. I loosened the nuts holding the cable in at the motor worked it back and forth. I also noticed that there is a grease zerk there so I added some grease to it as well.

No luck at all. It actually appears to be completely frozen now.

HELP?!?

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

I have the SAME problem....my motor turns farther right than it does left. I tried to figure out the adjustment this morning with no luck. Mine is the cable style. I thought I could adjust the threaded nuts on either end to allow the rod to come in further...but it did not quite work.

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

If it's anything like mine there is a centering adjustment, where the cable sleeve clamps to the transom bracket (knuckle), loosen the clamping screws and slide the cable where you need it and retighten, you have to find center from lock to lock.

 

[Don S]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

The link between the cable and the engine is probably the wrong one for that engine. The length of the connecting rod determines where center is on the helm unit. There is no adjustment screw to center it.
Disconnect the link rod from the engine or the cable, find mid travel of your helm unit (count turns lock to lock and back off half of that). Now, hold the engine straight forward and measure between the centerline of the hole in the cable and the hole where the link attaches to the engine, that will tell you how long your link should be. Compare that length to what your link is now.

 

[PrinceValium]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

The link between the cable and the engine is probably the wrong one for that engine. The length of the connecting rod determines where center is on the helm unit. There is no adjustment screw to center it.
Disconnect the link rod from the engine or the cable, find mid travel of your helm unit (count turns lock to lock and back off half of that). Now, hold the engine straight forward and measure between the centerline of the hole in the cable and the hole where the link attaches to the engine, that will tell you how long your link should be. Compare that length to what your link is now.

So if I understand correctly....since this was not the original motor...the shaft may be too short? Could it be disconnected and then align the motor then reconnect it a little over from where it was to correct the problem?

 

[Don S]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

So if I understand correctly....since this was not the original motor...the shaft may be too short? Could it be disconnected and then align the motor then reconnect it a little over from where it was to correct the problem?

There is NOTHING to realign, re-read my post. Especially the last paragraph.
You need the proper sized link.

 

[cr2k]

Re: Steering Adjustment?

If you had your cable all the way out when you greased it you probably hydro locked it. The fitting is NOT to grease the cable but to grease the slide, the solid portion that goes in and out of the end. Especially if you put several pumps in it.